Arafat Won't Attend Beirut Arab Summit: Official

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Arafat Won't Attend Beirut Arab Summit: Official

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat decided Tuesday not to participate in the two-day Arab summit that will be open in Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday, a Palestinian official spokesman said.

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Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat decided Tuesday not to participate in the two-day Arab summit that will be open in Beirut, Lebanon on Wednesday, a Palestinian official spokesman said.

"President Yasser Arafat decided to stay in Palestine with his people to face the Israeli aggression and the siege imposed on them," said the Palestinian National Authority official spokesman in a statement.

The spokesman said that Arafat's decision not to leave for Lebanon was made "in order not to give the Israeli government the opportunity to impose conditions, obstacles and dictations."

"We thank the Arab and international leaders for their efforts to end the siege on Arafat and his people," the spokesman said. " But unfortunately these efforts were destroyed by the continuation of the Israeli aggression and impossible conditions."

The statement charged that the Israeli conditions on Arafat for his attendance at the Beirut summit "are a clear blackmail of the Palestinians and a violation of all the signed agreements."

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